diff --git a/apps/posts/src/views/members/components/members-empty-state.tsx b/apps/posts/src/views/members/components/members-empty-state.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3334fdf3b13
--- /dev/null
+++ b/apps/posts/src/views/members/components/members-empty-state.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,160 @@
+import React, {useCallback, useState} from 'react';
+import {Button, EmptyIndicator} from '@tryghost/shade/components';
+import {LucideIcon} from '@tryghost/shade/utils';
+import {getGhostPaths} from '@tryghost/admin-x-framework/helpers';
+import {getSettingValue, useBrowseSettings} from '@tryghost/admin-x-framework/api/settings';
+import {toast} from 'sonner';
+import {useCurrentUser} from '@tryghost/admin-x-framework/api/current-user';
+import {useNavigate} from '@tryghost/admin-x-framework';
+
+const MembersEmptyState: React.FC<{onMemberCreated?: () => void}> = ({onMemberCreated}) => {
+    const {data: settingsData} = useBrowseSettings({});
+    const {data: currentUser} = useCurrentUser();
+    const navigate = useNavigate();
+    const [isAdding, setIsAdding] = useState(false);
+
+    const {assetRoot} = getGhostPaths();
+    const membersSignupAccess = getSettingValue<string>(settingsData?.settings ?? null, 'members_signup_access');
+    const membershipsEnabled = membersSignupAccess !== 'none';
+
+    const handleAddYourself = useCallback(async () => {
+        if (!currentUser || isAdding) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        setIsAdding(true);
+        try {
+            const {apiRoot} = getGhostPaths();
+            const response = await fetch(`${apiRoot}/members/`, {
+                method: 'POST',
+                headers: {
+                    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
+                },
+                body: JSON.stringify({
+                    members: [{
+                        email: currentUser.email,
+                        name: currentUser.name
+                    }]
+                })
+            });
+
+            if (!response.ok) {
+                throw new Error('Failed to create member');
+            }
+
+            toast.success('You\'ve been added as a member');
+            onMemberCreated?.();
+        } catch {
+            toast.error('Failed to add member', {
+                description: 'There was a problem adding you as a member. Please try again.'
+            });
+        } finally {
+            setIsAdding(false);
+        }
+    }, [currentUser, isAdding, onMemberCreated]);
+
+    if (!membershipsEnabled) {
+        return (
+            <div className="flex h-full flex-col items-center justify-center px-4">
+                <EmptyIndicator
+                    actions={
+                        <Button variant="outline" asChild>
+                            <a href="#/settings/members">Membership settings</a>
+                        </Button>
+                    }
+                    description="Adjust your membership settings to start adding members."
+                    title="Memberships have been disabled"
+                >
+                    <LucideIcon.Users />
+                </EmptyIndicator>
+            </div>
+        );
+    }
+
+    return (
+        <div className="flex h-full flex-col items-center justify-center px-4">
+            <div className="flex max-w-lg flex-col items-center gap-3">
+                <EmptyIndicator
+                    actions={
+                        <div className="flex flex-col items-center gap-3">
+                            <Button
+                                disabled={isAdding}
+                                onClick={handleAddYourself}
+                            >
+                                {isAdding ? 'Adding...' : 'Add yourself as a member to test'}
+                            </Button>
+                            <p className="text-sm text-muted-foreground">
+                                Have members already?{' '}
+                                <a className="font-medium text-foreground hover:underline" href="#/members/new">Add them manually</a>
+                                {' '}or{' '}
+                                <button
+                                    className="font-medium text-foreground hover:underline"
+                                    type="button"
+                                    onClick={() => navigate('/members/import')}
+                                >
+                                    import from CSV
+                                </button>
+                            </p>
+                        </div>
+                    }
+                    description="Use memberships to allow your readers to sign up and subscribe to your content."
+                    title="Start building your audience"
+                >
+                    <LucideIcon.Users />
+                </EmptyIndicator>
+
+                <div className="mt-4 grid w-full grid-cols-1 gap-4 sm:grid-cols-2">
+                    <a
+                        className="group flex flex-col overflow-hidden rounded-xl border bg-card transition-all hover:shadow-sm"
+                        href="https://ghost.org/resources/build-audience-subscriber-signups/"
+                        rel="noopener noreferrer"
+                        target="_blank"
+                    >
+                        <div
+                            className="h-36 w-full bg-cover bg-center"
+                            style={{backgroundImage: `url(${assetRoot}img/marketing/members-1.jpg)`}}
+                        />
+                        <div className="flex grow flex-col p-5">
+                            <h4 className="text-sm font-semibold">
+                                Building your audience with subscriber signups
+                            </h4>
+                            <p className="mt-1.5 text-sm leading-relaxed text-muted-foreground">
+                                Learn how to turn anonymous visitors into logged-in members with memberships in Ghost.
+                            </p>
+                            <span className="mt-3 inline-flex items-center gap-1 text-sm font-medium text-foreground">
+                                Start building
+                                <LucideIcon.ArrowRight className="size-3.5 transition-transform group-hover:translate-x-0.5" />
+                            </span>
+                        </div>
+                    </a>
+
+                    <a
+                        className="group flex flex-col overflow-hidden rounded-xl border bg-card transition-all hover:shadow-sm"
+                        href="https://ghost.org/resources/first-100-email-subscribers/"
+                        rel="noopener noreferrer"
+                        target="_blank"
+                    >
+                        <div
+                            className="h-36 w-full bg-cover bg-center"
+                            style={{backgroundImage: `url(${assetRoot}img/marketing/members-2.jpg)`}}
+                        />
+                        <div className="flex grow flex-col p-5">
+                            <h4 className="text-sm font-semibold">
+                                Get your first 100 email subscribers
+                            </h4>
+                            <p className="mt-1.5 text-sm leading-relaxed text-muted-foreground">
+                                Starting from zero? Use this guide to find your founding audience members.
+                            </p>
+                            <span className="mt-3 inline-flex items-center gap-1 text-sm font-medium text-foreground">
+                                Become an expert
+                                <LucideIcon.ArrowRight className="size-3.5 transition-transform group-hover:translate-x-0.5" />
+                            </span>
+                        </div>
+                    </a>
+                </div>
+            </div>
+        </div>
+    );
+};
+
+export default MembersEmptyState;
diff --git a/apps/posts/src/views/members/members.tsx b/apps/posts/src/views/members/members.tsx
index eadd0ae5b1b..ae9d9e63fbe 100644
--- a/apps/posts/src/views/members/members.tsx
+++ b/apps/posts/src/views/members/members.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 import MembersActions from './components/members-actions';
 import MembersContent from './components/members-content';
+import MembersEmptyState from './components/members-empty-state';
 import MembersFilters from './components/members-filters';
 import MembersHeader from './components/members-header';
 import MembersHeaderSearch from './components/members-header-search';
@@ -187,26 +188,25 @@ const MembersPage: React.FC<{timezone: string}> = ({timezone}) => {
                         </Button>
                     </div>
                 ) : !data?.members.length ? (
-                    <div className="flex h-full flex-col items-center justify-center">
-                        {hasFilterOrSearch ? (
-                            <>
-                                <EmptyIndicator title="No matching members found.">
-                                    <LucideIcon.Users />
-                                </EmptyIndicator>
-                                <Button
-                                    className="mt-4"
-                                    variant="outline"
-                                    onClick={() => clearAll({replace: false})}
-                                >
-                                    Show all members
-                                </Button>
-                            </>
-                        ) : (
-                            <EmptyIndicator title="No members yet">
+                    hasFilterOrSearch ? (
+                        <div className="flex h-full flex-col items-center justify-center">
+                            <EmptyIndicator
+                                actions={
+                                    <Button
+                                        variant="outline"
+                                        onClick={() => clearAll({replace: false})}
+                                    >
+                                        Show all members
+                                    </Button>
+                                }
+                                title="No matching members found."
+                            >
                                 <LucideIcon.Users />
                             </EmptyIndicator>
-                        )}
-                    </div>
+                        </div>
+                    ) : (
+                        <MembersEmptyState onMemberCreated={() => void refetch()} />
+                    )
                 ) : (
                     <MembersList
                         activeColumns={activeColumns}
diff --git a/apps/shade/src/components/ui/empty-indicator.tsx b/apps/shade/src/components/ui/empty-indicator.tsx
index 85c242b5f2c..dad0301c6b1 100644
--- a/apps/shade/src/components/ui/empty-indicator.tsx
+++ b/apps/shade/src/components/ui/empty-indicator.tsx
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ const EmptyIndicator = React.forwardRef<HTMLDivElement, EmptyIndicatorProps>(({c
                 }
             </div>
             {actions && (
-                <div className='mt-4 flex items-center gap-2'>
+                <div className='flex items-center gap-2'>
                     {actions}
                 </div>
             )}
diff --git a/e2e/helpers/pages/admin/members/members-list-page.ts b/e2e/helpers/pages/admin/members/members-list-page.ts
index 0cc491cc6ab..169e47dc829 100644
--- a/e2e/helpers/pages/admin/members/members-list-page.ts
+++ b/e2e/helpers/pages/admin/members/members-list-page.ts
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ export class MembersListPage extends AdminPage implements MembersListSurface {
         this.newMemberButton = page.getByRole('link', {name: 'New member'});
         this.filterButton = page.getByRole('button', {name: /^(Filter|Add filter)$/});
         this.clearFiltersButton = page.getByRole('button', {name: 'Clear'});
-        this.emptyState = page.getByText('No members yet');
+        this.emptyState = page.getByText('Start building your audience');
         this.noResults = page.getByText('No matching members found.');
         this.showAllButton = page.getByRole('button', {name: 'Show all members'});
     }